There's a pretty weak joke making its rounds via
email warning the Egyptians that if they destroy their pyramids, we won't
rebuild them, signed, the Jews. Yes, according to Jewish tradition we built
those pyramids when we were slaves in Egypt.

My gut feeling is that the present "unrest" and rioting in Egypt and the rest of the
Arab world is more like the tip of the iceberg. There's lots more underneath,
yet to emerge. And like an iceberg, it will float around, impossible to control.

That's one of the reasons that even United States President Barack
Obama's latest, more carefully crafted statement about the revolt in Egypt and
Hosni Mubarak's fleeing to Sharm Al Sheik may be as secure as the Titanic was
before the iceberg punctured it.

Obama strongly sympathizes with the rebellion:

"...The Egyptian people have made it clear that there is no going back to the
way things were: Egypt has changed, and its future is in the hands of the
people. Those who have exercised their right to peaceful assembly represent the
greatness of the Egyptian people, and are broadly representative of Egyptian
society. We have seen young and old, rich and poor, Muslim and Christian join
together, and earn the respect of the world through their non-violent calls for
change. In that effort, young people have been at the forefront, and a new
generation has emerged. They have made it clear that Egypt must reflect their
hopes, fulfill their highest aspirations, and tap their boundless potential. In
these difficult times, I know that the Egyptian people will persevere, and they
must know that they will continue to have a friend in the United States of
America."

Naive is my most optimistic reaction to his words. Thousands of miles safely
protected in America, he won't be affected by the fall-out. It's interesting
that the Mubarak family's first shelter is close to Israel, in Sharm Al Sheik
and far from the United States. I wonder where they will permanently settle.

I also wonder what's next. In no way do I share Obama's optimism. I'm not
comforted by the proper pc words of the present Egyptian rulers. From my vantage
point in Shiloh, the genuine original Biblical city, things do look very
different. No doubt, time will tell.